Jones Gets The Lucky Bounce

U.va. Assistant Namd Head Basketball Coach

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Jeff Jones is the first to admit he didn't place himself on the basketball coaching fast track.

"Plenty of people told me a couple years back if I ever wanted to be a head coach, I'd probably have to leave Virginia," Jones said. "I'm happy right now I didn't listen to them."

Jones was introduced as Virginia's new head basketball coach Monday at University Hall, culminating the school's 10-month search and a weekend of negotiations between Athletic Director Jim Copeland and Jones.

"This really is a dream come true," said Jones, who has been a part of Virginia basketball for 12 years as player and coach.

"Obviously I got a little lucky," he said. "Some things fell into place."

Jones agreed to a four-year contract that will pay him a base salary of $100,000 per year.

Jones will turn 30 on June 29, making him the youngest head basketball coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

He also wasn't Copeland's first choice. Xavier's Pete Gillen rejected Virginia's overtures, and Providence's Rick Barnes reneged on a commitment after he had accepted the job. Stanford's Mike Montgomery and Bruce Parkhill of Penn State each withdrew their names from consideration, leaving the focus of the search for Terry Holland's successor on Jones and fellow assistant Craig Littlepage.

If Jones was concerned about not being Copeland's first choice, it wasn't apparent Monday.

"Not at all," Jones replied with a grin. "I'm the one up here."

Jones becomes the eighth basketball coach in Virginia history and replaces Holland, the winningest coach in school history with a 326-173 record in 16 years.

Virginia reached the NCAA tournament eight of the last 10 years.

"We've gotten used to going to the NCAAs. We're used to winning and we're not going to step back," said Copeland.

Jones said he had a feeling that the job was his after talking to Copeland on Saturday, and a stronger feeling after another conversation Sunday. The job wasn't offered and accepted until Monday morning, and Jones had not signed a contract at the time he was introduced as head coach.

"I know absolutely nothing about contracts," Jones said. "Some other people are going to have to take care of the details for me."

Though Copeland said from the outset that he preferred someone with head coaching experience, he said Monday, "... what I found during the process that, with the exception of a very few people I was looking at externally, they really did not have a whole lot more to offer, and in some cases nothing more to offer, than what we already had on the staff."

Jones' youth and lack of head coaching experience don't faze him.

"To be honest, I wouldn't be up here if I didn't think I was prepared," he said.

Jones' first priority, after returning the dozens of phone calls from well-wishers and supporters, is keeping the current staff together.

It is unclear if Littlepage, a former head coach at Penn and Rutgers, will stay with the basketball program. Copeland had given both Jones and Littlepage the option of moving into athletic administration.

Perrin, who has minimal experience recruiting, and Domecq likely will remain in their present positions, meaning Jones must hire at least one assistant whose forte is recruiting.

Copeland said Littlepage's record as a head coach - 63-102 overall, 23-63 most recently at Rutgers - was the biggest drawback in his choice between Virginia's two assistant coaches.

"They brought many of the same attributes to the program," Copeland said. "My one concern, and I've talked to Craig about this, is that his head coaching experience did not end in a positive way, and I felt that was something that would be very hard for him to overcome as the head coach at Virginia and would be hard for the University of Virginia to overcome.

"Jeff starts out with all the attributes we need to have in a head coach and a clean slate," Copeland said.

Jones said there was no friction between him and Littlepage, though the two shared an office, roomed together on the road and sought the same job.

"I'm probably not that nice a guy," Jones said, "but I know he is, and that made it work. We've been through a lot in the last year. ... There had to be some competition, but it wasn't competition against."

Jones also was heartened by improvements Copeland said would be made before next season to University Hall, the oldest and smallest facility in the ACC.

Copeland didn't elaborate on the improvements, but said that the money necessary would be available.

"That sends a message that Jim Copeland and the University of Virginia are 110 percent committed to having a successful basketball program," Jones said.

Jones said the feeling of being the head coach hadn't yet sunk in.

"This really is a dream come true, or a part of it," he said. "The other part will have to be accomplished on the court."

JEFF JONES' CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

*Playing experience: 4 years at Virginia, 1978-79 to 1981-82. Team compiled 102-28 record.

*Playing accomplishments: Former single-season recordholder in assists with 200. Career assist leader with 598. Second in career steals with 189. Tied for fourth in games played with 129.